Recorded live at the Smoke jazz club in N.Y.C. (with studio quality audio fidelity), this CD marks the recording debut of up-and-coming altoist Ian Hendrickson-Smith. This quartet date, featuring David Hazeltine on piano, Barak Mori on bass and Joe Strasser on drums, offers a carefully chosen mix of standards ("The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Chelsea Bridge," "I'll Close My Eyes") and strong original compositions that harken back to the classic hard-bop recordings of the late '50s and early '60s. Hendrickson-Smith possesses a big, sweet, open sound and a sure sense of swing and drive in his playing.